Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The small island of Gulang Yu is the trump card of Xiamen. Just a five-minute
boat ride away, you'll find yourself on a breezy islet with warrens of back-
streets, set in the architectural kaleidoscope of more than 1000 colonial villas,
imposing mansions and ancient banyan trees.
The foreign community was well established on Gulang Yu by the 1880s,
with a daily English newspaper, churches, hospitals, post and telegraph of-
fices, libraries, hotels and consulates. In 1903 the island was officially desig-
nated an International Foreign Settlement, and a municipal council with a po-
lice force of Sikhs was established to govern it.
Sights
HISTORIC BUILDINGS
Old colonial residences and consulates are tucked away in the maze of streets
leading from the pier, particularly along Longtou Lu and the back lanes of
Huayan Lu.
Southeast of the pier you will see the two buildings of the
former British
along at 1 Lujiao Lu is the cream-coloured former Japanese
Bo'ai Hospital
Offline map
Google map
, built in 1936. Up the hill on a different part of Lujiao Lu
at No 26 stands the red-brick
former Japanese Consulate
Offline map
Google map
, just before you reach the magnificent snow-white
Ecclesia Cath-
Lu), dating from 1917. The white building next to the church is the
former
Historic Buildings
ORGAN MUSEUM
( Fengqin Bowuguan; admission ¥20; 8.40am-5.30pm)
The distinctive
Bagua Lou at 43 Guxin Lu is now the Organ Museum, with a fantastic collec-
tion including a 1909 Norman & Beard organ.
Museum
SUNLIGHT ROCK PARK
Park
